Tornado count for '04 and for Ivan, staggering indeed.

[WXBUFFJIM]

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are likely today from Maryland and Virginia southward into northern North Carolina as the remants of Ivan approaches. Southeast wind at the surface will combine with strong southerly low level winds at 60 mph t produce the rotation. Enhancing this will be more sunshine, hence better instability. Also tornadoes are most common in the right front quadrant of any tropical system. Some of the tornadoes today could be quite destructive and devastating on this region.

Looking at the tornado count for August, September, and for the year 2004 is quite staggering.

For the year, a preliminary count of 1433 tornadoes occurred already. This beats the old record of 1424 tornadoes set in 1998.

For August the preliminary tornado count is up to 173 with the old record of 126 set in 1979.

For September the preliminary count is 164. The old record was 126 set in 1979.

For Ivan, the tornado count preliminarily is up to 60 and rising quickly. The all time record for tropical cyclone tornadoes in the United States was 115 set in 1967 with Beulah in south Texas.

Jim